Bollywood's biggest stars ignite the screen! From the dazzling premiere of [mention a recently released film or event] to the brewing controversies surrounding [mention a current entertainment scandal], India's entertainment scene is ablaze. This week saw [mention a significant entertainment event, e.g., a music launch, award ceremony, or box office milestone], further cementing India's position as a global entertainment powerhouse. The battle for box office supremacy heats up as [mention competing films or actors], while the digital realm witnesses the rise of [mention a trending OTT series or online sensation]. Beyond Bollywood, regional cinema continues to flourish, with [mention a noteworthy achievement in regional cinema]. From the vibrant world of music to the captivating realm of television, Abtak.com brings you the pulse of Indian entertainment. Dive in and stay updated on the latest news, reviews, and exclusive interviews—your ultimate destination for all things entertainment. Explore the captivating stories unfolding now!
Cuttack: Orissa high court has directed the higher education department to examine the plea of Kalinga Publishers and Booksellers Association, Cuttack, alleging favouritism in the selection of books meant for libraries of non-govt colleges and take appropriate action within 30 days.The bench of Justice B P Routray, who heard the writ petition on June 24, disposed it of at the admission stage without commenting on its merits. However, the court issued a clear direction to the secretary of the department to consider the issues raised by the association, which represents a wide cross-section of publishers and booksellers across the state.The association alleged that the committee responsible for selecting library books acted arbitrarily and showed undue favour to a handful of publishers. "Out of the approved list, 350 books are from only five publishers," the petition stated, questioning the objectivity of the selection process.In a representation dated June 9 to the commissioner-cum-secretary of the department, association president Joy Krishna Mohapatra sought the immediate quashing of the book list. He also demanded an inquiry into the alleged irregularities and disciplinary action against officials involved in the process."The 350 books which are given in the book list is clearly a manipulative one which contains majority books only of a few publishers (5 to 6 persons owning around 12 to 13 firms) who have formed a group in connivance with govt officials in charge of the same. The book list provided has the name of the book, name of the author and there is no mention of the name of the publishers," the representation alleged."The name of the publishers has been intentionally avoided as most of the books belong to these handful of publishers. Making the name of the publishers public will only invite legal action and the wrath of publishers whose books are not selected though they submitted books as per govt guidelines," it further alleged.Taking note of the concerns, Justice Routray also observed that the department may consider halting the supply of the books in question until a final decision is taken.Many publishers have demanded a more transparent and inclusive process for book procurement in educational institutes.
Bengaluru Power Cuts: Citizens of Bengaluru brace yourself for long hours of power outages from June 29 and June 30. More than 100 areas will be impacted as BESCOM undertakes its quarterly maintenance work in various of its division. Bengaluru Power Outages June 29: According to the update by BESCOM on its X handler, there will be power outages in Kittaganahalli, Palasandra, Saptagiri, Maruthinagar, Sankapur, Raghavendra Nagar, Goolarivee, Baddihalli, Kesaramadu, C.M Badawan, Kalalli and SKS village on June 29 from 10 am to 5 pm. BESCOM's executive engineer has appealed to consumers to coop ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said the state govt was consistently working to provide better resources to the doctors and quality healthcare services to the citizens.He mentioned that medical colleges were being established in every district.While there were only six medical colleges in 2014, the number has now increased to 15, and nine new colleges are under construction. As a result, MBBS seats in the state increased from 700 in 2014 to 2,185, at present. The state govt aims to increase the MBBS seats to over 3,400 by 2029, said Saini.The CM was addressing a ...Read More >
Amritsar: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand has claimed that Britain assisted India in executing the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, stoking a new controversy.In a post on X on Monday, Dubey alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi "launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain", with British Army officers present in Amritsar.He uploaded a classified British document, "Sikh Community", claiming that on Feb 23, 1984, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office mentioned in a letter that the Indian govt had sought British advice over a plan to remove Si ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has suggested prioritising women in allocation of deceased donor organs.In a letter to the states/UTs, the apex authority for regulating organ donations and transplants in the country, has said a provision should be made to mark additional points for women recipients of donor organs, to address gender disparity. Studies have shown that while women make up a large percentage of donors, they receive fewer organs than men. "Women are equally vulnerable when it comes to end-stage organ failure due to illness, and it is import ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: After four days of relentless downpours, Telangana is expected to have a brief respite on Monday, with no rainfall alerts issued. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) placed the state under a yellow alert for thunderstorms. IMD data showed that Papannapet in Medak district received the heaviest 24-hour rainfall at 10.6 cm, followed by Manoor in Sangareddy with 9.28 cm and Nallabelly in Warangal at 9.15 cm. The statewide average rainfall for the day stood at 7.3 mm, notably higher than the normal 4.3 mm. Warangal's Sangem recorded the day's highest maximum temperature ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, 6 Apr: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the CBI to register within two weeks a preliminary enquiry into allegations of preferential allotment of contracts for public works in Arunachal Pradesh to firms allegedly owned or related to the family members of Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Observing that the state and its instrumentalities cannot confer benefits according to the "whims of any political or administrative functionary," the apex court said it is a fit case where an "independent investigation" is necessary. A bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath said where a case concerns t ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) The Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.5 per cent in the current financial year, despite geo-political tensions and trade policy uncertainties, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) Chairman S Mahendra Dev said on Tuesday. In an interview with PTI, Dev further said that domestic growth will be driven by low inflation, resulting from good monsoon and benign interest rate regime, triggered by three back-to-back rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India. "There are significant global headwinds like the twin shocks of geo-political tensions and trade ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Homegrown Premier Energies on Monday announced securing multiple solar contract worth USD 19.95 million (around Rs 177 crore) Republic of Benin, West Africa. These projects are part of a national initiative by the Government of Benin to expand access to reliable, sustainable clean energy, Premier Energies said in a statement. Implementation will be carried out by Premier Energies in collaboration with the General Directorate of Energy Planning and Rural Electrification, under the Ministry of Energy, Water and Mines, Republic of Benin. The scope of the contracts cover ...Read More >
Dhaka: A writ petition has been filed in the Bangladesh High Court seeking a ban on the broadcast of Indian TV channels in the country citing growing concerns over the impact of Indian media on Bangladeshi culture and society, Dhaka Tribune reported. Lawyer Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan, who filed the petition on Monday, is seeking a directive under the Cable Television Network Operation Act 2006 to prohibit the broadcast of Indian TV channels. It also asks why a rule should not be issued instructing a ban on Indian TV channels in Bangladesh, as per Dhaka Tribune. The hearing on the application may ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jun 6 (PTI) The Karnataka State Cricket Association had sought permission for RCB's IPL trophy celebrations at Vidhan Soudha, a letter sent by it to the state government has revealed, reaffirming KSCA's assertion that it facilitated approvals for the franchise which is under fire following 11 deaths in a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. After an FIR was lodged against them, KSCA president Raghuram Bhat, secretary A Shankar and treasurer E S Jayaram submitted in the Karnataka High Court that the gate management and crowd management were not the responsibility of the associa ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) The Supreme Court has said money cannot be recovered by filing an FIR and seeking help of police as it quashed a cheating case against the producer of Bollywood movie "Tanu Weds Manu". A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan expressed displeasure over the approach of the Allahabad High Court in dealing with the petition of producer Shailesh R Singh for quashing of the FIR against him by complainant Kunal Jain. "Money cannot be recovered, more particularly, in a civil dispute between the parties by filing a first information report and seeking the help of the ...Read More >
Patna, Aug 1 (PTI) Healthcare services were affected at AIIMS-Patna on Friday as resident doctors went on an "indefinite strike" in protest against the alleged high-handedness of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand. According to a press statement issued by the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), AIIMS-Patna, on Friday, "The RDA expresses deep disappointment and anguish over the lack of action by the administration following the violent and traumatic incident that occurred on Wednesday, when MLA Chetan Anand, his wife and their armed guards breached hospital security, physically assaulted staff, and thr ...Read More >
Cuttack, Jul 3 (PTI) Rejecting a writ appeal of the state government, a Division Bench of Orissa High Court here has recently upheld a three-year-old judgment passed by a single-judge Bench stating that maternity leave and associated benefits cannot be denied to a woman employed by the state on contractual basis. In a recent ruling, the Division Bench of Justices Dixit Krishna Shripad and Mruganka Sekhar Sahoo affirmed the August 2022 decision of a single-judge Bench, which had ruled in favour of a contractual employee of the Health and Family Welfare Department whose maternity leave applicat ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that both Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are unlikely to respond to the party's recent questions concerning BJP's Puducherry President and Raj Bhavan constituency candidate VP Ramalingam and Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) chief Jose Charles Martin hosting a Sri Lankan diplomat in Puducherry. Replying to Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera's post on X, Ramesh wrote, "The answers to your three questions are self-evident: 1. He will not, 2. He will not, ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 17 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to remove encroachments on forest lands, including the fruit-bearing trees, all across the state and not limit it to some areas. The order was passed by a division bench consisting of Justices Vivek Thakur and Bipin C Negi on Wednesday after the Advocate General placed on record fresh instructions issued by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, informing that 2,456 apple and other fruit trees have been felled from forest lands in Chaithla village, and 713 and 490 trees in Rohru and Kotgarh forest divisions, r ...Read More >
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to establish the Financial Training and Research Institute (FTRI) at the RCVP Academy of Administration and Management. The institute will provide centralised and standardised training in financial administration and management to personnel at all levels of government. The move is expected to improve departmental efficiency, strengthen financial discipline, and enhance transparency. The seven existing accounting training institutes in the state will be integrated in phases to establish a unified state-level training system. No additional ...Read More >
Bengaluru, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Karnataka High Court on Friday provided relief from coercive action to the office-bearers of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), who were facing the prospect of arrest in connection with the stampede near Chinnaswamy Stadium during a felicitation programme for the RCB, in which 11 persons were killed. Meanwhile, taking up the petition filed by Malavika Naik, questioning the arrest of her husband Nikhil Sosale, the Marketing Head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the high court adjourned the matter to June 9 without providing any relief fr ...Read More >
A young woman named Oleti Pushpa (22) was killed by her live-in partner Sheikh Shamma (22) in the Ambedkar Konaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, reported India Today. She was living with Sheikh for the past 6 months after she separated from her spouse. The incident took place in Siddhartha Nagar, B Savaram village of Rajolu mandal on 16th July. Shamma reportedly accused Pushpa of having affairs with other men. He forced her to engage in prostitution and frequently instigated fights with her when intoxicated. As per police, Shamma was addicted to ganja. On the fateful night, he against pressuri ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Ina strong show of unity to meet urgency, the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI) convened an emergency general body meeting on Sunday to address the deepening financial crisis faced by private colleges across Telangana. The crisis, according to the federation, stems from the protracted delay in the release of fee reimbursement dues by the state government. The meeting saw representatives from various educational associations under FATHI come together to deliberate on the issue. After extensive discussions, the general body unanimously passed a resol ...Read More >
Kota, Jun 6 (PTI) A relationship manager in an ICICI bank branch in Kota allegedly swindled around Rs 4.58 crore from customers' accounts only to lose the lot of it in the stock market, police on Friday said. She was arrested last week and is currently under judicial custody, they said. Also Read | Bengaluru Stampede: Police Complaint Lodged Against Virat Kohli Over Stampede Tragedy Near Chinnaswamy Stadium. The accused, Sakshi Gupta, was posted as a relationship manager at ICICI Bank's DCM branch. Police said she had been pilfering from more than 110 accounts belonging to 41 customers for ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The US embassy in India has warned that "committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States won't just cause you legal issues -- it could lead to your visa being revoked and make you ineligible for future US visas". The warning was issued days after a video of an Indian woman who tried to leave a store with a cart full of items without paying went viral. This also prompted the embassy to say, "The US values law and order and expects foreign visitors to follow all US laws."Responding to queries on the issue, the ministry of external affairs said that "whether a person is liv ...Read More >
CUTTACK: In a landmark ruling that reaffirms the rights of women employees irrespective of their employment status, the Orissa High Court has upheld the grant of maternity leave to a contractual worker and dismissed the state government's appeal challenging the same. Anindita Mishra, engaged as a young professional under the Health and Family Welfare department since May 20, 2014, had been serving on a contractual basis with regular extensions based on her performance. In August 2016, following the birth of her daughter, she applied for maternity leave from August 17, 2016 to February 12, 20 ...Read More >
Nagpur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has cleared the decks for large-scale recruitment in higher education institutions across Maharashtra. He has also approved 100% hiring in government-aided engineering colleges and the urgent filling of vacant posts in public universities and unaided colleges.The move is expected to significantly boost the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) and enhance the overall quality of higher education in the state.Chairing a high-level review meeting at the state legislature on Monday, Fadnavis directed that all sanctioned faculty and staff pos ...Read More >
Nagpur: Pardi flyover, which was expected to be East Nagpur's only functional route during the rains, has succumbed to the first monsoon downpour. Torrential rains have resulted in multiple potholes, uneven patches, and loose gravel deposits on the flyover, turning the Kalamna, Itwari and Bhandara wings into pothole-ridden stretches resembling a booby trap. Additionally, the roundabout above has developed several depressions, posing risk to motorists.Commuters have raised concerns over the safety and longevity of the structure, demanding immediate repairs and fixing accountability of the execu ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Mar 30 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday presented a comprehensive report card of the state government's education sector, highlighting significant reforms, increased budget allocation and improved academic outcomes over the past four years. Addressing a press conference under the "Shandaar Char Saal Bhagwant Mann de naal" campaign, Maan said the government's "Shiksha Kranti" has transformed government schools into competitive and outcome-driven institutions. He said the education budget has been increased from Rs 12,657 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 19,279 crore ...Read More >
New Delhi / Khammam: Member of Parliament R Raghu Ram Reddy on Wednesday raised concerns in the Lok Sabha over the pending implementation of assurances made under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, urging the Centre to ensure balanced development for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Participating in the proceedings, Khammam MP Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy highlighted that several commitments made at the time of state bifurcation remain unfulfilled. He stressed that the promises should not remain confined to paper and called for their time-bound execution. The MP underscored the nee ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) A Delhi court on Friday decided to start hearing arguments on charge from July 2 in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case related to February 2020 riots. Additional Sessions Judge Lalit Kumar on June 2 noted that the prosecution and counsel for five accused persons had completed their arguments on charge. The court then sought the "schedule regarding the time frame" and the manner of addressing the arguments, "particularly time or hours" from the special public prosecutors and accused's advocates. On Friday, special public prosecutor Amit Prasad said the prose ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court single bench of Justice Tadakamalla Vinod Kumar on Tuesday expressed deep concern and strongly disapproved action of the Rachakonda police for meddling in civil disputes and settling them in the Nagole police station itself in lieu of Rs.55 lakh. The judge was astonished to know from the counsel for petitioner Pamu Sudershanam that the Nagole police had confined him from morning to evening on June 19. The court while expressing shock at such an appalling action of the police, summoned Sudheer Babu, Rachakonda Commissioner and Nagole SHO to appear before it ...Read More >
Citing "substantial" annual fees in private universities, the panel underlined the need for the State to take steps through legislation to accommodate students from these categories. A parliamentary panel has recommended 27%, 15% and 7.5% reservation for OBC, SC and ST students, respectively, in private higher education institutions, noting the "considerably low" number of OBC students and "abysmally low" number of SC and ST students in select private institutions. Data provided by three of the ...Read More >
Ranchi: The historic Yatra celebrations at the Jagannath Temple in Dhurwa here commenced early on Friday morning with sacred rituals and a sea of devotees thronging the temple premises. Chants and sounds of conch shells rent the air as priests perform the "mangal aarti" at 4 am, marking the beginning of the 334th annual chariot festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra.By 5 am, the idols of the deities were open for darshan. As per schedule, darshan was halted at 2 pm, followed by the ceremonial placement of the deities on their respective chariots. Key rituals ...Read More >